Islamic heritage series: Ibn Al-Haytham: The pioneer optician (II)

Click here to Continued from last week So how did that influence shine its light on subsequent generations? In the early 12th century, the Spanish town of Toledo was the focus of a huge effort to translate Arabic books into Latin. Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars flocked there, where they lived alongside one another and worked […]

Click here to Continued from last week

So how did that influence shine its light on subsequent generations? In the early 12th century, the Spanish town of Toledo was the focus of a huge effort to translate Arabic books into Latin. Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars flocked there, where they lived alongside one another and worked together to translate the old knowledge into Latin and then into other European languages. Ibn al-Haytham’s Book of Optics as well as some of his other scientific works were translated into Latin. Having his work available in Latin proved influential on scholars writing during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, including Roger Bacon, Johannes Kepler and even Leonardo da Vinci, thus significantly contributing to the intellectual legacy that Latin scholars derived from Muslim civilization.

Professor A. Mark Smith of the University of Missouri, who specialises in Medieval history and the history of science, described the significance of Ibn al-Haytham’s contributions:

Ibn al-Haytham’s primary contribution to the development of modern optics was the creation of a brilliant optical synthesis from various earlier theories, as well as his own. So elegant, coherent, and logically compelling was that synthesis, in fact, that it informed optical thought in Europe for hundreds of years before it was finally undermined by Kepler. The very fact that it persisted for so long and that it finally took a thinker of Kepler’s exceptional acuity to offer a viable alternative in the theory of retinal imaging is a testament to its elegance and logical power.

Ibn al-Haytham’s seminal work on optics and light is evidence of  the accumulation of scientific knowledge which built on the contributions of different civilisations, helping to this day shape our understanding of the universe and impacting our day-to-day lives.

A global educational campaign

Ahmed Salim, 1001 Inventions Managing Director, with Prof. Maciej Nalecz, Director of UNESCO’s Division of Science Policy & Capacity Building, after unveiling the statue of Ibn al-Haytham at the International Year of Light Opening Ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

In today’s information age, distance and language are no longer barriers to the transfer of knowledge. Collective learning no longer requires time spans of thousands of years. With the power of technology and advancements in science, collaboration across cultures could bring massive leaps and rapid advances towards solving shared global challenges and achieving mutual benefits, while also contributing to intercultural understanding.

At a time of mounting political pressures, it is imperative to create platforms for collaboration and an environment conducive to partnerships enabling scientists, across borders, to find common solutions for global challenges.

Creative illustration and poster for the global campaign “1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham” (Source: 1001inventions.com © 1001 Inventions)

Inspired by Ibn al-Haytham, 1001 Inventions launched a global educational campaign produced with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia and in partnership with UNESCO and the International Year of Light. Titled “1001 Inventions and the World of Ibn Al-Haytham,” the initiative uses the scientist’s extraordinary life to raise awareness of the importance of intercultural dialogue through science diplomacy. It also aims to further instill pride in science heritage, promote social cohesion and encourage mutual understanding and respect through engaging under-represented communities.

What is most important about the campaign is that it aims to inspire young people to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and pursue careers in science. While it celebrates stories from the past, the initiative is highly relevant to our world today. In a world where science is crucial to our wellbeing, harnessing the potential of young people and building their scientific capacity is an indisputable necessity.

The campaigns of 1001 Inventions and other informal science education initiatives can be considered tools of science diplomacy, building bridges between scientists, academics and societies at large. These initiatives are of utmost importance as they contribute to finding collective solutions for shared challenges, while also resolving political, economic and social tensions. A new generation equipped with a mindset of intercultural collaboration and empowered by tools to become science and technology leaders provides a unique opportunity to build our future constructively.

A giant fully functioning 360-degree camera obscura created by 1001 Inventions as a tribute to Ibn al-Haytham. The interactive exhibit offers audiences the chance to step inside the mind and world of Ibn al-Haytham and experience how we see and learn about the fundamentals of light science. (Photo courtesy of 1001 Inventions)

1001 Inventions

With its motto of “Discovering the Past, Inspiring a Better Future,” 1001 Inventions is an award-winning international science and cultural heritage organization based in the UK.

A nonprofit organization, 1001 Inventions has uncovered a thousand years of scientific and cultural achievements from Muslim Civilization from the 7th century onwards, showing how these contributions helped create the foundations of our modern world. Through its educational programs, books, exhibitions, live shows, films and learning products, 1001 Inventions showcases the contributions of inspirational men and women of different faiths and cultures in a civilization that spread from Spain to China.

Eid Mubarak!

From Elsevier website